Warwick professor to head up trial to detect breast cancer with AI

University of Warwick Professor of Population Health and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Professor Sian Taylor-Philips is to co-lead a trial which will test how AI technology can help catch cases of breast cancer.

30 testing sites across the country are to be set up with the newest digital AI technologies, ready for almost 700,000 women who have already been booked in for routine screenings though the NHS to participate.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Women between the ages of 50-71 are invited to be screened every three years to help find cases.

The technology will help radiologists who screen patients to identify changes in breast tissue which show possible signs of cancer.

Presently, two specialists are necessary for every mammogram screening, but this technology means that only one will be needed to do the same screening process safely and efficiently.

The success of this trial could free up hundreds of radiologists and specialists all over the country to see more patients

Furthermore, the success of this trial could free up hundreds of radiologists and specialists all over the country to see more patients. This will help to deal with waiting lists and increasing cancer rates.

Taylor-Philips said: “This is an exciting collaboration between clinicians and scientists across the UK.”

The trial, named Early Detection using Information Technology in Health (EDITH) has £11 million of government funding supported by the NIHR.

The government has claimed it is “committed to fixing the NHS” as part of its Plan for Change and has promised to increase the speed of both diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients.

Their press release states: “From March 2026, around 100,000 more people every year will be told they have cancer or not within 28 days and around 17,000 more people will begin treatment within 2 months of a referral.”

Trials like this illustrate exactly the impact we know the technology can have

Peter Kyle, Science and Technology Secretary

Speaking about the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: ‘We are going to use AI to repair broken public services and drive forward our Plan for Change.

“Trials like this illustrate exactly the impact we know the technology can have – improving lives and in this case, saving them.”